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Posted By: Island Soul I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 11/28/17 06:00 PM
Each year I buy BIAB for Mac after waiting months after the windows version. When it comes out, PG Music only skips most of the feature that the Windows version has. The only reason I update is mainly for the real tracks and nothing else. I just wish that I could have the same thing Windows users get so I can use all the features.

P.S. The day that happens I stop complaining.
Posted By: Beachboy Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 11/29/17 08:02 AM
Maybe switch to Windows version and Parallels, works great for me.

Unfortunately, I switched from windows version to Mac all my music programs work wonderfully on the Mac except BIAB.

Fortunately, I still have the latest windows version (only switched this year). I'll most likely only update my Windows version to 2018, Mac version is way too sad.

Still at the time of this post there are 106 logged on to Windows forum and 9 on the Mac forum. Approximately 12 times the number. This probably corresponds to the priority given to the Mac version.

It would be bad enough if it lagged behind in features, not having a piano roll editor, I just shake my head every time I think about it, that in itself shows that they are probably not really serious about the Mac version. However, having things included that don't even partially work like the lyric editor is beyond sad, just remove it if it serves no purpose.

Well, sick of whinging. Going to bed smile
Posted By: Island Soul Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 10:33 AM
Originally Posted By: Beachboy
Maybe switch to Windows version and Parallels, works great for me.

Unfortunately, I switched from windows version to Mac all my music programs work wonderfully on the Mac except BIAB.

Fortunately, I still have the latest windows version (only switched this year). I'll most likely only update my Windows version to 2018, Mac version is way too sad.

Still at the time of this post there are 106 logged on to Windows forum and 9 on the Mac forum. Approximately 12 times the number. This probably corresponds to the priority given to the Mac version.

It would be bad enough if it lagged behind in features, not having a piano roll editor, I just shake my head every time I think about it, that in itself shows that they are probably not really serious about the Mac version. However, having things included that don't even partially work like the lyric editor is beyond sad, just remove it if it serves no purpose.

Well, sick of whinging. Going to bed smile


I'm sorry, I just have been using a Mac for so long that I have not gotten the hang of PC in a while.
Posted By: Island Soul Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 10:34 AM
Also, I will not switch over to the Windows version unless a have a PC.
Posted By: Peters Garage Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 11:22 AM
Even though I run into strange problems with my Mac BIAB, I would never trade places with Windows users, as the OS (operating system) is a mess, drivers crashes, other applications hang up you real time music tools - no thanks!

I agree that the Mac version of BIAB appears to be 2. priority, but most of the issues I run across are being fixed or worked around by PG Music.

The true downside of Mac is the amount of cash I will have to re-invest when my 2011 dies - we're talking + 3.000 USD - Apple hardware is quite pricy. All this has nothing to do with BIAB.
Posted By: Beachboy Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 06:56 PM
Originally Posted By: Peters Garage
...I would never trade places with Windows users, as the OS (operating system) is a mess, drivers crashes, other applications hang up you real time music tools - no thanks!

Yes, I agree. I just use Parallels/Windows for 1 task BIAB. Still, I just happen to have both versions of BIAB & have a copy of Windows. I switched to Mac for music and it works great.

Originally Posted By: Peters Garage
...but most of the issues I run across are being fixed or worked around by PG Music....

I'm yet to experience this.
Posted By: w Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 07:35 PM
Islansoul and Beachboy

very interesting comments and fully understand where you guys are coming from because there are days i wuld love to smash MR PG ( yes, the boss ) and ask him why is the development of the Mac version always trailing the PC version.

I no longer get too hung up on the differences between Mac and PC versions. To me Band in Box is an intriguing  piece of music software making use of artificial intelligence. Just type in the chords of a song and away it goes sounding like the song and then just play/add in the melody.

Also gentlemen we may be too tough on this programme because we are professional musicians. I can still recall more than 40 years ago when i first purchased the Mac Band on a set of floppies and how excited i was to have music software on a Apple LC520 computer.

Anyways, i am still sticking to upgrading the Mac version of the Band and also will still complain because that is my nature.
The Windows and Mac versions of Band-in-a-Box are very similar, more than they have ever been in the past. I suspect alot of people comparing the two (i.e. version 2017 Windows to 2017 Mac) would think they are identical. There are some features that the Mac version lacks - Conductor and Piano Roll being the two that I can think of right now. The lyrics issue definitely sounds frustrating. It seems to me that this issue was fixed in a recent build, but maybe it got broken again, and we will need to revisit this.
Posted By: Beachboy Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/11/17 11:57 PM
Originally Posted By: Andrew - PG Music
The Windows and Mac versions of Band-in-a-Box are very similar, more than they have ever been in the past. I suspect alot of people comparing the two (i.e. version 2017 Windows to 2017 Mac) would think they are identical. There are some features that the Mac version lacks - Conductor and Piano Roll being the two that I can think of right now. The lyrics issue definitely sounds frustrating. It seems to me that this issue was fixed in a recent build, but maybe it got broken again, and we will need to revisit this.

Hi Andrew,
I have both Windows & Mac. The Mac is fine for song generation (if you don't wish to rehearse in notation view - scroll ahead goes crazy once you get beyond 60 or so bars (all reported some time back), beyond that windows is way better for working with Midi & Lyrics.
No Piano roll in midi composition is ridiculous.
Insert/delete beats 4 beats maximum.
Scroll ahead in notation view only partially functions.
No Lyric Editor (never been fixed in the released patches including 186 Beta)
Col
Posted By: Island Soul Re: I Think I'm Done with BIAB for Mac - 12/12/17 11:42 AM
Yeah, I think I'm done complaining about the Mac version. I just have to except the truth that the Mac version will just be the Band in a Box without all the bells and whistles that the Windows version has. I still will upgrade, but I will just have to remind myself that I won't be getting a lot of what the Windows version has to offer.
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